Welt-seam-trim ming machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. Z. T. FRENCH 8v W. C. MEYER.

` (No Model.)

WELT SEAM TRIMMING MACHINE.

|NVENTE|R5 NEESES ANDREW BLRMMM. PHUTOUTHQWASNINGTUMD C.

' ZSheGtS- Sheet 2. Z. T. FRENCH 8v W. C. MEYER.4

(No Model.)

WELT SRAM TRIMMINGMAGHINB..

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WITNEEEEE v UNITED Y STATES PATENT GEETCE.

ZAoHARY T. ERENci-IAND WILLIAM c. MEYER, or EoSToN, MASSACHUSETTS.

WELT-SEAM-TRIIVIVIING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,380, dated April 14, 1896.` Application filed May 2l, 1895. Renewed March Z6, 1896. Serial No. 584,935. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may con/cern,.-

Be it known that we, ZACHARY T. FRENCH and WILLIAM C. MEYER, of Boston, county of Suifolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in XVelt-Seam-Trimming Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

In the manufacture of welted vboots and shoes the welt is sewed through the upper to a channeled inner sole, and then it becomes necessary to trim the welt-seam or trim off the between substance, as it is usually calledc'. e., the inner edge of the welt and the edge of the upper at the welt-seam thus formed-so as to present a smooth flat surface for the outer sole.

This invention relates to machines for trimming the welt-seam of welted boots and shoes, and has for its object to provide means for supporting and feeding along the Work whereby the trimming-knife may trim oif Vthe be-A tween substance closer to the stitches without straining the seam.

In accordance with this invention a worksupport is provided against which the work may be pressed, it beingherein shown as made as a small more or less tapering bai-,which may be the end of a wide loop or loop-like structure adapted to enter the inseam or crease or bear against` the last close to said crease, the width being sufficient to bear upon orcover several stitches. Feeding mechanism is also provided, which may be made as apair of jaws having thin ends, which may be formed by tapering the jaws.

The taper given to the end of the front jaw is sufficient to enable said jaw to work `down close to or in the inseam or crease, and the taper given to the rear jaw is sufficient to afford ample space for a trimming-knife to work. These jaws are operated to close together and grip the welt, then move along a short distance, then open and return to obtain a new grip, thereby feeding along the work intermittingly.

Various forms of trimming-knives may be used in connection with this form of feeding device and work-support, one form being herein shown, which consists of a curved oscillating blade sharpened at the end and moving in the arc of a circle at substantially right angles to the feed.

Figure l shows a right-hand side elevation of a welt-seam-trimming machine embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the Same; Fig. 3, sectional details of the trimming-knife; Fig. 4, a horizontal section of the machine, showin g the knife-carrying arm and feeding-jaws 5 Fig. 5, an enlarged vertical sectional detail of the feeding-jaws, showin g the knife-carrying arm in elevation; Fig. G, a cross-sectional detail of the feeding-jaws and supports therefor; Fig. 7, a rear side View of the rear feeding-jaw, and Fig. 8 views of the trimming-knife.

The framework comprises, essentially, a base A and two side pieces B rising therefrom. The main shaft a is journaled in said side pieces B, and has secured to it an eccentricdisk a, (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) embraced by an eccentric-strap @2,from which projects outwardly an arm a3, the lower end of which is loosely connected by a piu 2 or otherwise with a knife-carrying arm a4, pivoted at a5 to a block C, dovetailed in the base A and secured thereto in an adjustable manner, as by a screw 3 passing through a slot and entering the base. The knife-carrying arm d4 has secured to its extremity a curved trimmingknife @the end of which is sharpened and serves as the cutting edge. As the main shaft d revolves, the knife-carrying arm a4 is vibrated, and the trimming-knife b thereby oscillate'd inthe arc of a circle of which the pivot 0,5 is the center. This particularform of trimming -knife possesses many advantages; but our invention is not confined to this particular construction.

The lasted boot or shoe to which a welt has been sewed is held up against a suitable worksupport c, (herein shown as a loop,) secured to a yoke or frame c', attached to the base A in an adjustable manner, as by screws 4 passing through slots and entering the base. The lower end of the loop c is made quite thin and more or less tapering, so as to enter the inseam or crease or bear against the upper drawn taut over the last at a point adjacent the welt. The acting end of the loop c is made IOO equalize the pressure.

Instead of making the work-support c as a loop-like structure it may be made in many different ways to present a thin acting end.

As a feeding mechanism we have herein shown a clamp feeding device constructed and arranged to intermittingl y feed along the boot or shoe. The clamp feeding device shown consists of a pair of jaws (Z e, the lower ends of which are made thin and tapering, so that the front jaw may work close in the inseam or crease, and the rear jaw keep out of the way of the knife, and said jaws are adapted to close together and grip and hold between them the welt, and then carry the boot 0r shoe along a short distance, and then open, releasing the welt, and return to their starting-point. Such a form of clamp feeding device is frequently called a four-motion feeding device. l

The jaw (Z is located within thc loop-like work-support c and works back and forth between the vertical arms or sides thereof. This jaw (Z is attached by screws 5 5 to an arm CZ depending from a sleeve (Z2, mounted on the rod (Z3, being free to rock and also slide longitudinally on said rod. The screws 5 5 pass through slots in said arm (Z (see Fig. G) to enable the jaw (Z to be adjusted in and out, and a limiting stop (i is provided at the front side, bearing against said jaw. Two arms project radially from the sleeve (Z2, one, as d4, bearing the pin (Z5, which enters a cam-groove formed in the side of the disk D, secured to the main shaft a, said groove being so shaped that as the disk revolves the sleeve (Z2 will be rocked axially on the rod (Z3. The other radially-pro jecting arm (ZG (see dotted lines, Fig. l) enters a peripheral cam-groove in said disk D, said groove being so shaped as to cause the sleeve (Z'l2 to reciprocate longitudinally on the rod d3. The parts are so timed that the sleeve (Z2 will bc first rocked in one direction, moving out the jaw (Z, then moved on the rod (Z3 in a direction toward the right, carrying the jaw (Z with it, then rocked in the opposite direction, moving the jaw (Z inward that it may engage the welt, then move on the rod (Z in a direction toward the left, thereby giving to the jaw (l four motions.

The jaw e is attached by screws 7 to an arm c' depending from a sleeve e2, mounted on a reduced portion of the sleeve (Z2. (See Fig. 2.) One end of the sleeve c bears against a shoulder formed on the sleeve d2, and the other end bears against a collar e3, secured to the projecting end of the sleeve (l2. By this construction the sleeve e2 is caused to reciprocate longitudinally with the sleeve (Z2, yet permits the sleeve (Z2 to rock axially on its supporting-rod independently. An arm e'L projects radially from the sleeve e2, bearing a pin e5, which enters a cam-groove formed in the face of a diskD, secured to the main shaft (t, said cam-groove being so shaped as to rock the sleeve c2 substantially at the same time that the sleeve (Z2 is rocked, but in the opposite direction, so that the jaw e will be given substantially the opposite movements to the jaw (Z.

It may be necessary to only give one of the jaws four motions, the other jaw moving only back and forth, and in such case we prefer to give the front jaw (Z four motions and the rear jaw c two motions, and in such event the cam-grooved disk D and arm el with its pin may be omitted, or said parts may be utilized for the purpose of steadying the jaw, and the groove in the disk D' made truly circular.

The jaw e is eut away upon its rear side, as represented in Figs. 5 and 7, to form a guideway for the oscillating trimming-knife This form or construction of feeding mechanism, it will be observed, works close to the inseam or crease and enables the operator to hold the work at the proper angle that the seam may be trimmed close to the stitches and obviating the necessity of tilting the shoe in such manner as is required when using a roller-feed. Furthermore, the clamp feedingjaws, acting as they do to intermittingly clamp the welt, compress it and obviate the necessity of thereafter beating it out.

ln operating the machine t-he boot or shoe is held up against the work-support (a, and as the shaft a revolves the jaws (Z e grasp the welt and feed along the work a short distance, then the trimming-knife descends, cutting oil the material while the welt is still held by the jaws (Z The jaws (Z c then separate, disengaging the welt, and return to their starting-point, and during this time the work is held by the trimming-knife and work-support, and just as the trimming-knife, in ascending, leaves the material the jaws (Z c again close upon the welt and again feed along the work ashort distance while the trimmingknife is in elevated position.

It will be observed that as the trimminglknife is being withdrawn from the material the work is held or its withdrawal force rcsisted by the work-support- It is the intention that the trimming-knife shall remain in the stock all the time that the feeding-jaws are open.

W'e do not herein broadly claim a welt-seamtrimming knife turning on an axis, and means for holding and feeding the work, having as a cooperative part of it a device which acts upon the under side Of the welt and projects inwardly and terminates close to the point where the cutting is being done, thereby cntering the graduallycontracted space between said knife and welt tangent to the curvature of the knife and holding the work directly opposite where the cutting is being done, as such feature is claimed `in our application, Serial No. 576,925,

XVe claiml. In a welt-seam-trimming machine, the combination of intermittent clamp feedingjaws, and an oscillating trimming-knife, said jaws being substantially tangent to the are IIO in which the knife travels, substantially as described.

2. In a welt-Seam-trimming machine, the combination of a work-support at the face side of the Welt, an oscillating trimming-knife at the opposite side thereof, a pair of clamp feeding-jaws arranged substantially tangential to the arc in which said knife travels, and means for moving them to grip and feed along the work and then return, substantially as described.

3. In a Welt-seam-trimming machine, the work-support c, feeding-jaws d, e, means for moving them to grasp the welt and feed along the Work, the rear jaw e being formed with a guideway upon its rear side, and an oscillat ing trimming-knife b moving in said guide- Way, substantially as described.

4E. In a welt-seam-trimming machine, the combination of a pair of clamp feeding-jaws, means for moving them to engage the Welt and feed along the Work, a work-support at the face side of the Welt, and a welt-seamtrimming knife at the opposite side thereof which cooperates with the Work-support to hold the work While the feeding-jaws return to engage the welt, substantially as described.

5. In a Welt-seam-trimming machine, the combination of a work-support, apair of feedin g-j aws, the front jaw terminating] ust above the worksupport, and a trimming-knife, substantially as described.

6. In a welt-seam-trimming machine, the

combination of the loop-like work-support c, Y

feeding-jaws (l, e, the front jawworking back and forth within said loop, and a welt-seamtrimming knife, substantially as described.

7. In a welt-seam-trimming machine, the combination of a pair of Welt-feeding jaws, and means for operating them to grip the welt, and feed along the work, a work-support at the face side of the welt, and an oscillating Weltseam-trimming knife at the opposite side thereof, which approaches and recedes from the work-support in a curved path, and when in the material is nearest the Worksupport and cooperates with it at such time to hold the work while the feeding-jaws return to grip the welt, substantially as described.

S. In a welt-seam-trmming machine, the combination of a pair of feeding-jaws, means for moving them to grip the Welt and feed along the work, a work-support at the face side of the Welt, and a vibrating trimmingknife at the opposite side thereof, having a broad face in parallelism with and opposite the work-support, and coperating with said work-support to clamp and hold the welt between them while the feeding-jaws are returning to grip the Welt, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ZACHARY T. FRENCH. VILLIAM C. MEYER. Titnessesz B. J. NoYEs, F. II. DAVIS. 

